The Taiwanese government has established a group to rate online content. The Taiwan Internet Content Promotion Foundation is comprised of representatives from government, Internet portal operators, and public interest groups.
The group’s stated aim is a safe Web environment to help protect underage Netizens from “illegal” content, and plans to establish a rating system comparable to those for television, film, and publications, according to the Taiwan Government Information Office.
The foundation formed after three months worth of work by public interest groups and government, who began talking about a ratings system in April. The GIO said its own survey work showed over 85 percent of those responding favored such a rating system.
GIO director-general Lin Chia-lung said the rating system will be designed to require local Web site operators to mark “restricted” sites not appropriate for underage Netizens and help parents set code on their machines to keep younger family members from getting to certain sites.
The GIO’s most recent report on Internet activity said the number of Web surfers 12 years old and younger has reached 1.06 million with more than 92 percent of children 12-15 years old having Net experience.
